Support for NFL players kneeling during anthem in previous seasons in the U.S. 2020
The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in May 2020 caused a wave of public outrage. Following his death, many athletes and NFL players called for an end to police brutality and advocated social change. During a June 2020 survey in the United States, 23 percent of respondents said that they strongly supported NFL players kneeling during the national anthem during the 2017 and 2018 NFL seasons.